Design in DC

National Design Awards and the White House

The National Design Awards were first launched at the White House in 2000 as an official project of the White House Millennium Council. First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton served as the Honorary Patron in the inaugural year, and First Lady Laura Bush and First Lady Michelle Obama have continued this tradition. In past years, the National Design Awards honorees have been celebrated with a luncheon ceremony at the White House, graciously hosted by the First Lady.

2014 National Design Awards Luncheon at the White House

DC Teen Design Fair

Held in conjunction with the National Design Awards luncheon at the White House since 2010, the DC Teen Design Fair is an education program where hundreds of local high school students meet with the National Design Award winners and jurors to discuss career and education opportunities in design. The NYC Teen Design Fair is held each year as part of National Design Week.

During the Teen Design Fair, sponsored by Target, students had the opportunity to meet with professionals working in the fields of fashion, product design, architecture, graphic design and more. In prior years, these one-minute mentoring sessions have led to internships for the teens. A keynote address was delivered by Tim Gunn, co-host and mentor of Lifetime’s Project Runway. Teens also earned a digital credential badge for documenting their experience and gathering career-building knowledge from the guest designers.